


I Hate You, I Love You (RJ One-shot book

by IzzyBizzyFrizzyDizzy



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Angst, BoyxBoy, Fluff, Gay, Love, M/M, One-Shots, Pure, Teenagers, boy/boy, rj - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:22:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22567006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IzzyBizzyFrizzyDizzy/pseuds/IzzyBizzyFrizzyDizzy
Summary: Just a book of one-shots about RJ because it is top tier HSMTMTS couple.😌 Fluff, angst and everything in-between.
Relationships: Ricky Bowen & E.J. Caswell, Ricky Bowen/E.J. Caswell
Comments: 12
Kudos: 82





	1. I’ve Got You Now

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt for this chapter: “I’ve got you now.”

It was an unusually normal rehearsal day for the crew, given the crazy theater drama that was usually the norm. Ricky was going over lines and lyrics with Nini, Carlos was adding some new dance steps with the ensemble, and Miss Jen was shouting at people to, “Channel their inner Wildcat!” E.J was watching all this from afar, having felt confident enough in his lines to take a short break.

He watched as Nini and Ricky sung the lyrics to “Breaking Free” together, the raw emotion showing in their face and singing. Ricky was grasping Nini’s hands, and they both looked alive. But E.J. fiddled with the cap on his water bottle, because even though he gotten over his differences with Ricky, he still had a feeling of pain in him when he saw how happy Ricky and Nini were when they sang. He knew it wasn’t because of Nini, he already established that he had gotten over her, but if it wasn’t Nini that was causing his pain, than who could it be?

E.J slumped, resting his face in his hands. It was Ricky that was causing him to feel this way, of course it was Ricky. E.J had tried to deny it again and again, but late at night while he tried to sleep, the image of the beautiful, curly-haired boy always crept into his mind. In fact, if Nini hadn’t broken up with E.J when she did, E.J would’ve probably still ended the relationship a little later. But however much E.J wished and longed for, Ricky was an unattainable man in his book, for E.J was sure that Ricky only had his gorgeous eyes set on Nini. But still, E.J longed for a chance to kiss the boy, at least once, just so he could experience the amazing bliss of kissing Ricky Bowen. He caught himself daydreaming in class many times since the boy entered his life, and all E.J wanted to do was hold him in his arms, just once.

*********************************

Ricky gazed into Nini’s eyes as they dance and sung, without a single care in the world. He sang with sincerity, he did, but he couldn’t ignore the side of him that longed to sing with someone else, and that someone just wasn’t Nini. He really did care for the girl, and even though he had only joined the musical in the first place to win back Nini, he was over her. And he couldn’t prevent his eyes from wandering to someone else, someone whose last name rhymes with “That’s well.”

The first time that Ricky acknowledged his feelings for E.J, he was terrified. In his mind, this was all wrong, he should have feelings for Nini, not for E.J, the boy whose nose he had accidentally broke before. But he couldn't silence his feelings for E.J, and they only got stronger and stronger over time, until he fell less and less out of love with Nini. But deep down inside, Ricky knew that a relationship with E.J just wasn’t possible, he and E.J were close to friendship now, sure, but Ricky was sure that E.J probably still liked Nini. And even if E.J had moved on from Nini, even if E.J was gay or bi, why would he ever go for Ricky?

Nini would always be Ricky’s best friend, through thick and thin, dating and not dating. But right now, while he was supposed to be focused on dancing and singing with Nini, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from E.J, who was sitting in the very last row of the auditorium. Ricky gazed longingly at E.J, whose glance was elsewhere, and all Ricky wanted to do was to run up to E.J and kiss him.

Suddenly, Ricky found himself tripping and falling to the floor.

*********************************

E.J glanced upwards at the stage, where Ricky was continuing to sing “Breaking Free” with Nini. 

“We're soaring, flying,

There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach,

If we're trying, so we're breaking free” 

E.J painfully smiled at the lyrics, he wished that it were him up there, singing his heart out with Ricky, instead of Nini. He could almost imagine it, nobody else but Ricky and him, holding each other’s hands, gazing into each other’s eyes, lips inches apart from touching. But E.J wasn’t stupid, he knew that would never happen. Still, a boy can dream.

E.J gazed up at Ricky, he was so beautiful. From his cocoa-brown eyes to his soft curls, E.J doesn’t think that he’d even fallen more for somebody. But suddenly, while reaching a high note, E.J sees Ricky losing his footing, and falling off of the stage.

E.J’s instincts kick in, and before he knew it, he’s dashing down to the stage, sliding onto his knees, making a perfect catch. E.J has Ricky carried in a bridal-style way, and the boys both blush crimson-red. E.J’s heart is racing, and he’s pretty sure that Ricky can hear the loud pounding coming from E.J’s broad chest.

“I’ve got you now,” E.J said, gazing into Ricky’s nervous eyes.

The boys didn’t notice it at first but the entire rehearsal had stopped to look at the undeniably awkwardly romantic scene. Ricky’s eyes were a mixture of shock, surprise, and some other emotion that E.J couldn’t quite place. Their noses were inches apart from touching, and E.J could feel Ricky’s slow breathing on his face. 

The room was dead-silent, with the others intently listening to see if the silently long-shipped couple would finally get together. E.J stared into Ricky’s eyes, and he couldn’t do it any longer. He couldn’t keep ignoring the signals from his heart, he knew that his heart would never fall for someone as much as it had fallen for Ricky Bowen. He loved this boy with all his heart, he knew it, and he had to at least try, take a chance, take a leap of faith.

That’s when Ricky grabbed E.J by his perfectly gelled hair and locked his lips with E.J’s. The kiss was perfect, and it was unlike anything that E.J had ever experienced before. Ricky’s lips were soft and gentle, and E.J felt nothing but bliss once their lips touched. Slowly, they both pulled away after an amount of time that was probably a while, but still too short in E.J’s mind. 

Then, the crowd of cast members that had crowded around the boys, not to either boy’s knowledge, erupted into cheers, making both the boys blush a deep red. E.J heard Ricky sigh with a small smile on his face, before resting his forehead on E.J’s forehead. 

“And I’ve got you too.”


	2. Never Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> angst angst angst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter took so much energy and time but you know what it was worth it 😌

For the past couple of days, Ricky’s been noticing a certain change in E.J. For starters, he hasn’t been keeping up with his schoolwork, even though he’s a straight-A student. He’s more irritable and angry at basically everyone, in a way that Ricky hadn’t seen since he had been chosen for the lead over him. When Ricky had texted E.J, he rarely get a response back, when usually, E.J would reply within the minute. Something was wrong with E.J, and it didn’t sit well with Ricky at all. 

Ricky sat in the theater, his legs kicked up over the chair in front of him, hands in his pockets. This was the usual meeting place for their friend group before school started, and it was Friday, meaning that it had been a whole two weeks since E.J had last been at school. His friends were chatting and laughing loudly across the room from him, but Ricky just couldn’t get his mind off of E.J. Ricky had tried calling, texting, everything he could think of, but E.J never responded back. What had happened to E.J?

Ricky was interrupted from his thoughts by a loud, familiar vice trying to get his attention. 

“Hey! He-llo! Ricky!” Nini snapped her fingers in front of Ricky’s face a couple of times, the third snap seeming to do the trick. 

“Huh? What? Oh, hey Nins,” Ricky said, snapping back to reality. “What’s up?”

“What’s  up is that we’ve been here for twenty minutes and all you’ve been doing is sitting here sulking or something!” Nini said, exasperatedly. “What’s wrong?” Nini said, lowering her voice just a bit, looking directly at Ricky with sympathy in her eyes.

Ricky inhaled a deep breath and let his head fall to the back of his chair. “E.J hasn’t been at school for two whole weeks. I try texting him, nothing. I try calling him, nothing. I try dm-ing him, also nothing! Even though I did send some pretty cute pics along with the dm...Did he just fall off the face of the Earth?! I know I’m probably just over-reacting, but I’m worried, Nins.” Ricky sighed again, before mumbling, “And I miss him.”

Nini gave Ricky a warm smile, before gently hugging him. “It’s probably nothing, maybe E.J just came down with the flu or something. If you’re really that worried, why don’t you drive to his house after school?”

Ricky’s eyes instantly lit up when Nini mentioned checking up on E.J after school. That was a great idea! He was still nervous about E.J, so actually seeing him would probably help Ricky feel better. Just then, the bell for homeroom rang, and Ricky quickly thanked Nini and left for his first class.

Nini grinned from ear-to-ear. “And I’ll 

bet that your  boyfriend  probably misses you too!” She shouted out after Ricky. 

*********************************

E.J was laying in his bed, the lights off and the curtains drawn. His door was shut, refusing to accept any light coming from outside. His phone buzzed time after time again in a worrying melody, but he didn’t bother to check it. What was the point?

He didn’t have to look at the calendar to know that it had been two weeks since he last showed up to school. He had spentthose entire two weeks cooped up in his house. The sound of the buzzing on his phone gave some sort of comfort, because he knew damn well that his parents didn’t care about him at all, and he hadn’t heard anything from them since he stopped showing up to school.

E.J stared up at his bedroom ceiling, wondering why his friends even bothered to text him. No, he doesn’t even have the right to call them his friends. He had done so many shitty things to them in the past months, put them through so much hell, he didn’t deserve to so much as look at them.

And he sure as hell didn’t deserve Ricky.

Sweet, kind Ricky, who he had aggressively harassed for much of the Fall Musical. Smart, beautiful Ricky who had still forgiven him and agreed to start over even after everything that E.J had done to him. Agreed to give E.J another shot. Agreed to go out on a date with E.J. Agreed to become E.J’s boyfriend.

Ricky deserved someone better than E.J. Someone who was kind and thoughtful and everything that Ricky would ever want. Not him. 

E.J knew that if he just lay here in his bed, for some time longer, the buzzing from his phone will eventually stop. With it will stop the cares of those he loves, those he cares about. Maybe if he lays here for just the right amount of time, he’ll fade away like dust in the wind.

There’s no doubt that E.J misses his friends but he missed Ricky a whole lot more. His heart felt guilty for abandoning Ricky, but deep down, he knew that it was for the better. Ricky would move on, Ricky would find a guy that is actually worth his time. And Ricky and everyone that E.J ever cared about would live happily ever after. 

Without him.

*********************************

Ricky dashed out the door of his seventh-period classroom the second the bell rang. He was pulling out of the school parking lot and driving to E.J’s house before most teens had even finished packing their things. He had to see E.J, seeing him after school was all Ricky could think about all day.

After a ten-minute drive that felt more like ten hours, Ricky parked in front of E.J’s rather big house. Before getting out of his car, he checked his reflection in the rear-view mirror. He smoothed his hair and adjusted his shirt collar, making sure he looked nice when he was finally able to see E.J.

Ricky practically ran up to the door, taking a deep breath in before knocking.

No answer.

Ricky knocked again.

Also no answer.

Ricky paced back and forth on the front steps of E.J’s home. Nobody had answered the door, despite the numerous times that Ricky knocked. Now he was even  more nervous about what had happened to E.J. Should he just break down the door? No, Ricky wasn’t strong enough for that, as much as he hates to admit it. Just then, Ricky spied a huge tree that stood by E.J’s bedroom window, and for a second, a crazy thought passed through Ricky’s mind.

Ah, screw it.

Ricky began putting him second-grade tree-climbing skills to use by attempting to scale that ginormous tree. He kept getting stabbed by thorns and split branches, but Ricky pushed through. When he finally reached the top branch that led to E.J’s window, Ricky looked as though a mob of furious cats had just attacked him. Ricky then knocked on E.J’s window, clutching onto the branch for dear life.

No answer.

At this point, Ricky was about ready to break down E.J’s window. But he decided to save that for Plan B. First, he tried to open E.J’s window from the outside, praying that it was unlocked, because Ricky didn’t know how the hell he was going to get down from here. Luckily, it was unlocked, and Ricky slid himself through the window, into E.J’s dark room. 

For a second, Ricky thought that E.J wasn’t there, since the lights were off and the door was closed, despite it only being 3:00. But then, Ricky saw a lump on E.J’s bed. Deciding to investigate it, Ricky slowly crept up behind the lump and tugged the blanket off in a swift pull, revealing E.J’s curled up form under it. Ricky let the blanket drop to the floor, his hand clenched over his mouth to prevent himself from screaming.

“E-E.J?” Ricky nervously said, a small tear trickling down his face, landing onto E.J’s bed, onto E.J’s skin.

*********************************

E.J was so lost in thought and self-hatred, that he didn’t even hear when his window opened. Didn’t even hear when Ricky tumbled into his room. Didn’t even notice when his blanket was tugged off of him. But what he did notice was when he heard Ricky’s angelic voice call out to him.Startled, E.J jumped to his feet, and he came face-to-face with Ricky Bowen, whose eyes were slightly red and his mouth agape. Before he could say anything, Ricky tackled E.J into a tight hug. E.J slowly hugged back, and he made sure to savor this, because he knew it wouldn’t last.

“E.J! Where were you! Everybody missed you like crazy!” Ricky rambled on and on, still not letting go of E.J.

Gently, E.J pulled away from Ricky, and directed his eyes onto the floor.

“You have to leave,” E.J said, staring at the floor.

“What do you mean?” Ricky said, a confused expression on his face.

“You don’t deserve someone as low as me, Ricky. You deserve better. Please leave and go find your true love.” E.J said, his voice both tough and soft.

“Just leave, please.” E.J pleaded with Ricky.

*********************************

All of a sudden, it all became clear to Ricky. And as soon as it did, Ricky had to pull himself together to prevent himself from breaking down. Sweet E.J, his E.J, didn’t think he was good enough for Ricky.

“Baby...no,” Ricky said, his voice barely above a whisper. He slowly moved closer to E.J.

E.J backed away sharply, and Ricky felt like daggers had stabbed his heart when he did. “I said leave!” E.J yelled at Ricky, his voice shaky.

Ricky backed away, his heart and eyes filled with hurt, pain, and sorrow. E.J hadn’t talked to him like that since that day in the locker room, when Ricky had accidentally broken E.J’s nose. But Ricky composed himself. Maybe E.J was right, maybe he should leave. Because he was not about to get yelled at for caring about his boyfriend.

“Fine then,” was all Ricky said, even though he had wanted to say so much more. “Have it your way.”

Ricky turned the handle on E.J’s door, because there was no way he was climbing back down that tree. Not for a boy that clearly no longer needed him.

*********************************

As soon as those words left E.J’s mouth, he was filled with regret. He loved Ricky, he loved Ricky with all his heart, with every single fiber of his being. He was hurting the boy who had always been for the E.J, he was hurting the boy who was his best friend, his lover. E.J couldn’t just let Ricky walk out like this, he couldn’t let Ricky leave.

“Wait!” E.J cried out to Ricky, who was about to leave the bedroom.

E.J ran up to Ricky and clutched his hand in between his. He stared into those dark, mysterious eyes that E.J could spend days lost in, those eyes that made E.J fall in love with Ricky. 

“I don’t want to be alone right now, I don’t want to be alone ever. All I want is you, Ricky, and you are all that I’ve ever wanted,” E.J said, on the brink of tears.

Ricky stared back at E.J, his eyes watery and his face clenched in such a way as to prevent himself from bawling. Ricky threw his arms around E.J, and they embraced for what felt like forever. Finally, they parted, and Ricky cupped E.J’s face in his hands while E.J had his hands around Ricky’s waist.

“You are my everything, E.J Caswell. You are my sunshine when I need you most. I wouldn’t  ever leave your side for someone else when I know that you are all that I need. You are the kindest person that I know and I don’t  ever want to hear you talking bad about yourself ever again. Our friends love you, E.J,  I love you.” Ricky said, tears cascading down Ricky’s rosy cheeks.

As soon as Ricky had finished talking, E.J’s heart nearly stopped. That was the first time that either boy had said, “I love you,” to each other. And now, the tears falling down E.J’s face were no longer tears of sadness, but tears of joy. 

E.J swept Ricky into a passionate kiss, their tears mixing with the force of love. When they at last parted, E.J stared into Ricky’s eyes, they were red, but still as beautiful as E.J had remembered.

“I love you too.”


	3. Baking is Better with a Boyfriend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ricky sucks at baking. that’s it, that’s the chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like, I’ve been really busy with school and other activities (im a Girl Scout and we crankin on those cookie sales 😌) so this chapter has been long delayed.
> 
> I also just had a falling out with a girl who I thought was one of my good friends, but I was wrong. Thinking of switching from ASB to Drama next year, you know, ive been wanting to branch out and make new friends and I love theater. Anyways I talk too much so thanks to those who made it to this point enjoy the chapterrrrrr 💖💘💝💕

Sugar littered the floor.

Flour covered the ceiling in ways that was probably somewhat impossible, but alas.

Simply put, the kitchen was a mess.

The black shirt that E.J had chosen to wear was now a powdery white, and the tip of his nose had just a smidge of chocolate sauce. E.J leaned against the counter, folded his arms across his chest, and sighed, smirking at the teen boy in front of him.  


On the other hand, Ricky was an energetic mess, as shown by the current state of the kitchen. He was whisking something together that did  not  look in the least bit appetizing, or even edible at all.

Crumbled under Ricky’s foot was a printed-out cookie recipe sheet that E.J had brought, before being assured by Ricky that they did not need a recipe, that Ricky was a pro.

Ricky was most certainly not a pro.

E.J slowly walked up from behind Ricky, snaking his arms around Ricky’s waist and resting his head on Ricky’s shoulder.

“Babe, are you sure that you know how to make this? I can just get another recipe off my phone,” E.J said, staring at the repulsive bowl of whatever the heck Ricky had thrown in there.

“Nope! No recipes! I told you that Chef Ricky is  lé cooking master ,” Ricky confidently said, mimicking a French accent. “In fact, this perfectly delicious bowl of cookie dough is about ready to be shaped into cookies.”

Ricky then slopped the vile mixture onto the cookie sheet, before shoving it into the oven.

“Ta-da!” Ricky dusted his hands off on his apron (which read, “Property of E.J.” but E.J’s read, “Property of Ricky.”)

“Now, while these cookies are baking, I...” Ricky traced his fingers down E.J’s neck, making the older boy shiver in anticipation.

“Let‘s go have some fun,” Ricky whispered in E.J’s ear before they darted off to Ricky’s bedroom.

*********************************

E.J and Ricky lied on the bed, both their hearts racing. Ricky laid peacefully beside his boyfriend, E.J’s strong arm hung around Ricky’s shoulder. The boys were both shirtless, Ricky’s pale chest a deep contrast against E.J’s tan one. Ricky closed his eyes, humming softly as he pressed himself further into E.J’s chest, listening to his heartbeat.

Suddenly, the smell of thick smoke began to pour into the room.

E.J shot up from the bed, still only dressed in his boxers, his clothes carelessly tossed onto the floor. “Ry, do you smell that?”

Ricky wore a confused expression on his face until it dawned on him.

“The cookies! We left the cookies in the oven!” Ricky said in a panic.

The boys ran downstairs, E.J tripping and falling down the staircase (how graceful.)

Ricky slowly opened the oven, a cloud of smoke enveloping him. He coughed and quickly covered his mouth with his hand, slowly lifting the sheet out of the oven.

Ricky stared at the sheet. Not only did the cookies look repulsive, misshapen lumps of dough, but they also  smelled repulsive. Ricky tentatively bit one of the cookies, and nearly puked, spitting into the garbage disposal.

Ricky ran over to E.J, who was sprawled out on the staircase, and handed him a cookie.

“Try it! It’s so good!” Ricky was faking enthusiasm, and he wasn’t sure that E.J was buying it.

E.J skeptically looked at Ricky for a moment, who only nodded. E.J took a bite of the cookie, and immediately spit it out, Ricky buckling over in laughter. 

“Ricky, I love you, but these ‘cookies’ are just straight-up nasty,” E.J said, laughing a bit.

“Hey! Don’t insult  lé Chef Ricky’s  exquisite recipes!” Ricky playfully said, elbowing E.J in the side.

Ricky joined E.J on the stair case and rest his head on E.J’s shoulder, taking his hand in his. 

“I just wanted to show you that maybe I could bake,” Ricky softly said, swinging E.J’s hand. “Like, you’re so good at literally everything, and then I don’t know, I’m just like, how did this awesomely amazing guy end up with me? But....I think we’ve both acknowledged today that baking is  not for Ricky Bowen,” Ricky cracked a small smile.

“Ricky, every single day, as soon as I see your smile that just lights up the room, and your vibrant personality that just makes everyone instantly like you, it’s me wondering how I ever got so lucky with you. You can skateboard, play guitar, sing, dance, and act. I’d actually kill to be able to step on a skateboard without breaking at least twenty bones,” E.J said, making Ricky snort.

“And if I ever had to make a decision where I’d either lose you, or eat your cookies, I’d eat those damn cookies every single day of my life,” E.J said, and he truly meant it.

“So, does that mean that I can cook dinner?” Ricky jokingly said, his lips curving up into a smile.

E.J laughed.

“Hell no.”


	4. Prom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> senior prom is coming up soon, but ej is all the way across the country in college and ricky is sad! (also everyone in this chapter except for ej is the same age because when I was writing this I forgot that they were different ages 😳🤭)

“You’re terrible!” Ricky said, laughing into his phone.

“Terribly handsome?” E.J mused back in a playful manner.

It was a Tuesday night in Salt Lake City, and Ricky was sitting cross-legged on his bed, gazing out at the night sky as he chatted with his long-distance boyfriend, E.J.

When Ricky and E.J first started dating, they were the happiest the friend group had ever seen either boy. However, once the end of the school year neared, and E.J started to receive acceptance letters from various colleges, one major issue had to be put into perspective, E.J would be leaving for college after summer. But, whereas most couples would’ve broken up in this situation, Ricky and E.J decided to make it work. So, when E.J left on a plane for Brown University at the end of summer, Ricky held him tightly, both boys promising to face chat at least a few times each week.

“Ry, I should head to bed now, it’s like 11 PM over here and I have a stupid chemistry test tomorrow,” E.J laughed dryly, and even though he was across the country, Ricky could sense his eye-roll.

“Yeah, it’s cool. Get some sleep,  Elijah. ” Ricky coyly said, which alluded a groan from E.J on the other line.

“If I remember correctly, I’ve told you  numerous times to not call me by that disgusting-ass name, or should I mention your middle name?” E.J dramatically said.

“Hell no! I swear E.J, I will drive to that damn college and literally strangle you if you mutter that cursed name!” Ricky said, slightly laughing.

Both boys fell silent for a moment, indulging in hearing the other’s presence on the phone call.

“I’ll catch you later, babe. Love you,” E.J said, yawning a bit.

Ricky froze up a bit. If this had happened a year ago, Ricky would have suggested a break and seen E.J leave. But, Ricky wasn’t that person anymore. Looking back, Nini and him were just confused friends who mistook sibling-like love for the actual thing. Nini was still his best friend, his closet confidant, but E.J made him feel different. Special, and Ricky knew in his heart that he truly loved E.J with every fiber of his being.

“Love you too,” Ricky said, before hanging up the call.

Ricky laid down on his bed, staring at his ceiling. He missed E.J, he missed him a lot, but all he could do was wait until summer, when E.J would come home.

The sound of his phone buzzing jolted Ricky up from his bed. He sighed as he looked at the screen.

** neeners: kourt and I just finished prom dress shopping! @ginainabottle can’t wait to dance the night away with you! <3 **

Along with the post, Nini had added a picture of her newly purchased prom dress, which was a dazzling (quite poofy) scarlet red dress. Senior prom was nearly a month away, and most teens already had dates and plans. Since Junior prom was cancelled last year due to budget cuts, everybody was going all out for this year’s prom. However, Ricky had decided that he’d just chill in his room on prom night. He knew his friends would invite him to tagalong, but Ricky just wasn’t interested in being a third wheel. Perhaps if Ricky was single at the moment, he would go to prom with them and look for other single teens. But Ricky wasn’t single, he just had a boyfriend that lived all the way across the country. Ricky knew that going to prom was an experience that you could only have once, but if E.J wasn’t by his side, then Ricky didn’t want any part of it.

*********************************

The next Friday, the gang was hanging out in Nini’s basement, laughing at stupid jokes that only they could understand.

“Hey, Ricky just texted me, said he’s gonna be late,” Big Red said, flopping down on a bean bag chair, next to Ashlyn’s.

“Text him to pick up some Hot Cheetos!” Nini said, her legs drooped against Gina’s knees.

Gina adjusted herself on her chair, a wide smile spread across her face.

“So! What are we all doing for prom? I was thinking we could hang out at my house afterwards,” Gina smoothly said, sliding her arm across Nini’s shoulders.

Everyone then started to gush and talk about all that was to happen on prom night. Kourtney’s lab partner had asked her to prom the week before, so it appeared that everyone in the gang would be able to go together. However, this was not the case. Seb snapped his fingers, quickly getting everyone’s attention.

“What about Ricky? E.J is all the way in Rhode Island, and it’d be really sad to see Ricky miss out on prom!” Seb exclaimed.

“Yeah, it’s too bad we can’t fly him out here or something,” Carlos mumbled, leaning his head against Seb’s shoulder.

Instantly, Nini’s eyes lit up, and her brain had already began to formulate a plan. She jumped to her feet, and there was a wild look in her eyes.

“But what if we did! We could totally fly E.J to Salt Lake City for prom weekend! We could pool our money together!” Nini excitedly said. “Come on guys! Ricky would be so happy, and it’d be totally worth it!”

Ashlyn dug her laptop out of her backpack and began to research flight prices from Providence to Salt Lake City.

“The cheapest price I could find online is $330 for a round trip flight, which is a tad bit expensive, but there’s a lot of us, so we could afford that!” Ashlyn said, a smile spreading across her face at the idea that her favorite cousin would be able to visit.

“Okay, so that’s about $50 for each of us to put in, I think we could do that!” Gina enthusiastically said.

“I’ll buy the tickets online tonight, so bring the money to my place tomorrow,” Ashlyn said, closing her laptop.

“I can’t believe we’re really doing this! I assume this is going to be a surprise, so we just have to make sure nobody tells Ricky before prom night,” Carlos said, clasping his hands together.

Just then, somebody knocked on Nini’s front door. When she led Ricky downstairs, everyone appeared a little too  happy than usual. But, Ricky just brushed it off.

*********************************

Later that night, Ashlyn called E.J to let him know what the friend group was planning.

“Ash? What’s up?” E.J casually said on the other line, while Ashlyn was struggling to contain her excitement.

“E.J, how would you like to go to prom with Ricky?” Ashlyn mysteriously said.

“What? What do you mean?” E.Jcuriously said.

“What I mean is that in one month we have Senior prom, right? So, we all pooled our money to buy you a plane ticket to fly here for prom!” Ashlyn exclaimed.

On the other end, Ashlyn heard a noise that sounded like E.J dropping his phone.

“Really?! Deadass?!” E.J said, his voice cracking a bit at the end.

“Yes! You’ll fly in at 10:45 AM the Friday of prom, and your return flight will be at 6 PM that Sunday!” Ashlyn said, her voice filled with glee.

“Oh my god! I-I can’t believe this! Ash, you and everyone else are like the best people ever,” E.J said, and Ashlyn knew he was smiling on the other line.

“I’ll send you the ticket online in a few minutes. Next month E.J, next month and you’ll be here!” Ashlyn happily said.

“I miss him so much, Ash. I really do. I absolutely cannot thank you guys enough,” E.J said, lowering his voice a bit.

Ashlyn sunk down on her bed. “Hey, that’s what friends are for, right?”

*********************************

After an agonizingly long month for both E.J and the gang, prom day had finally arrived. For the entire day, all anyone was talking about was their plans for the night ahead. Long story short, it was terrible for Ricky, for all he could think about was his boyfriend who (for his information) was all the way across the country.

4:00 PM was the time when E.J’s plane landed at the Salt Lake City International Airport, and needless to say, E.J practically ran off the plane. His heart was racing, and he may have shoved some people to get off the plane, but honestly, he didn’t care at that moment.

Each minute that past, he was closer to seeing Ricky and holding him in his arms at last.

Ashlyn had texted E.J that Nini’s red sedan would be waiting for him outside of the airport, so the second he got outside, E.J’s eyes eagerly scanned the expansive parking lot for a familiar face. After searching for a bit, he saw Nini’s bright face frantically waving at him, and he rushed towards her.

The second E.J got to Nini’s car, he enveloped her in a bone-crushing hug, and Nini had to repeatedly tap his back to get him to let go.

“Nini! I missed you so much!” E.J said, and he just couldn’t stop smiling.

“I missed you too! Now get in the car already, the clock is ticking!” Nini said, grabbing E.J’s suitcase and tossing it in her backseat.

E.J and Nini talked quite a bit on the drive to her house, Nini catching him up on all that’s been happening in town and E.J telling her what college life is like.

As soon as they arrived at Nini’s house, she basically dragged E.J up to her bedroom, where she was to ready him for prom. Nini had rented E.J’s tux the previous night, and it was patiently waiting for him in Nini’s closet. She shoved the tux into E.J’s hands, for she was very excited to see him in it.

“Go try it on!” Nini said, pushing him into the bathroom.

“Okay, okay!” E.J said, laughing.

After a few minutes, E.J stepped out of the bathroom, adding a few twists and turns for dramatic effect. The tuxedo fit him perfectly, showcasing his model-like body. Nini clasped her hands over her mouth, and frankly, she felt like a proud mother.

“How do I look?” E.J asked her, checking his reflection in her mirror.

“Perfect,” Nini said with a smile. “Just let me fix your hair, and you’re good to go!”

Nini then slapped some gel onto her hands, forming E.J’s hair into a smoothly styled swoosh. She then dabbed some light powder onto his face and stepped back, admiring her handiwork. She was then snapped out of focus by her phone buzzing. She quickly checked it, and saw the text that Gina had sent her.

** Gina 💖🥺 : driving ricky to prom rn **

_** sent at 5:00 PM ** _

** Gina 💖🥺 : can’t wait to see u ;) **

** _ sent at 5:01 PM _ **

“Okay! E.J, go wait downstairs, I’ll be down soon, I just need to get ready,” Nini said, grabbing her dress from her closet.

As soon as her dress was on, Nini felt like a princess, and she was very excited to see Gina. It was still crazy to think about sometimes, how Gina, a girl who once despised her, ended up becoming her one true love. Especially with all the relationship drama she had between E.J and Ricky, the boys who soon became like brothers to her. She quickly applied her make-up, and smiled to herself in the mirror. For the first time in a long time, Nini felt at peace.

“Let’s go!” Nini yelled to E.J, carefully lifting up her giant, puffy dress to prevent it from getting dirty.

“Oh my...wow. That, is one big dress!” E.J said in awe, staring at the dress that seemed to poof out three feet away from Nini at all sides. “Will you be able to drive like that? I can take the wheel, if you want.”

“Nope! I am perfectly capable of driving like this!” Nini firmly said, snatching her car keys out of E.J’s hands. “Ricky is driving to prom with Gina, so they should be there about the time that we get there.”

Before they left, one question was burning at the back of E.J’s mind.

“Nini?” He slowly said.

“Yeah?” Nini responded back, trying to fit her dress through the doorway.

“Does Ricky ever talk about me?” E.J quietly asked.

Something that has always slightly bothered E.J a bit while he was away was the thought of Ricky moving on from him. Ricky was incredibly smart, funny, handsome, and kind, it wouldn’t be hard for him to find a boyfriend. A boyfriend that was better than E.J.

“Are you kidding me? Ricky talks about you, like all the time! I swear, you two lovebirds seeing each other will do him some good!” Nini exclaimed, but lowered her tone a bit when she saw E.J’s expression. “E.J, Ricky loves you. He’s missed you like crazy throughout the year, and I know he’ll practically die of joy once he lays eyes on you.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so.”

*********************************

It was 4:30 PM, and Gina had managed to drag Ricky to her house, with the false intention of wanting him there to “help her get ready.” So, Ricky was currently laid up on her bed, waiting for Gina to finish changing and applying her makeup.

“Whaddaya think?” Gina asked, stepping out of the bathroom.

Gina was wearing a sleek, velvety black tuxedo, and she’d done her hair in a low ponytail. There was just a touch of gloss on her lips, and instead of a traditional tuxedo coat, she had opted to wear a leather jacket.

“Damn! Nini is literally going to freak once she sees you!” Ricky exclaimed, looking at Gina’s fierce outfit. “There’s still an hour left before prom starts. Did you want me to drive you there early or something?”

“Oh, no. I have a different idea,” Gina said, smirking a bit as she tugged another tuxedo out of her closet. “You’re going to prom with us!”

Ricky instantly jumped up from the bed, glaring at Gina.

“No way! I told you guys, I’m not going to prom. Prom is something special, and I don’t want to go without him,” Ricky said, his voice slightly trailing off at the end.

“Come on Ricky! You only get to go to Senior prom once in your life! You don’t have to be all up on someone at prom, just dance and vibe with us! Please?” Gina said, pleading with Ricky.

Ricky still looked unhappy, but crossing his arms, he sighed.

“Fine.”

Gina smiled widely once Ricky had agreed, and placed the tuxedo in his hands, to which Ricky groaned at before leaving to get changed.

After quite a bit of Styling By Gina ™️ , Ricky looked ready to hit the runway. He twisted a bit in the mirror to check his reflection, smoothing his hair a bit.

“Hm. I do not look as bad as I expected,” Ricky said, doing finger-guns to himself in the mirror.

Gina simply rolled her eyes at Ricky’s shenanigans, before tugging him by the sleeve of the tuxedo.

“Come on, it’s 5:00 already, let’s head to the school,” she said, sending Nini a quick text.

“Whatever you say, Gigi!” Ricky said, smirking at Gina.

“I swear if you call me that one more time, I will literally go ninjitsu on your ass,” Gina said, slightly shoving Ricky, leading him to laugh a bit.

Gina shook her head, but she was glad to see Ricky laughing.

*********************************

Soon, Nini and E.J arrived at East High, and when he reached to unbuckle his seatbelt, Nini slapped his hand away.

“You’re not getting down from the car with me right now, you need to make a dramatic entrance,” Nini said, giving a bit of jazz hands. “You can leave the car in about twenty minutes!”

“Okay then,” E.J said, shrugging his shoulders. “But Ricky, my gorgeous Ricky is actually in that building right now, so I’m not sure I can contain myself for that long.”

“You’re such a sap!” Nini said, rolling her eyes as she closed her car door. “See you in there!”

E.J leaned his seat back at just the right time, for he was able to get a glance at Ricky as he walked into the school with Gina. He was incredibly handsome in his tuxedo, and even though there was evidence of gel on his hair, there were still some curls that managed to break loose. E.J wanted nothing more than to run out of this stupid car and run his fingers through that hair.

*********************************

Music was blaring at full volume inside the auditorium, but the mood of the music didn’t match Ricky’s mood. As soon as he had seen all the lovesick couples as they entered the dance, he had regretted agreeing to come.

Ricky sat by himself at quite a large table that had previously seated his friends, but they had all since left to the dance floor, leaving Ricky to chug a cup of watered-down punch. He leaned his head against the palm of his hand, and to be frank, this was not how middle-school Ricky had imagined his Senior prom night.

Ricky eyed the festively decorated exit and thought about leaving. His friends had their dates, they surely wouldn’t noticed if Ricky subtlety left and ditched prom for the skate park. In the back of his mind, Ricky thought about what E.J was doing at the moment. It was a Friday night, so he was probably getting either high or drunk at a frat party. For a split second, Ricky considered stepping outside and calling E.J for a moment, just to hear his voice again. But, he pushed that thought away, he didn’t want to possibly annoy E.J while he was at a party.

*********************************

Carlos was dancing with Seb when he noticed how Ricky was doing at the table. His head has fully slumped down to the table, so all one could see was his curly hair. Carlos’s smile had turned into a frown, which Seb noticed.

“Go see how he’s doing,” Seb gently said. “He probably wants someone to talk to right now.”

“Are you sure?” Carlos said, worried that Seb might think he’s abandoning him.

Seb nodded, and to prove his point, he left to dance with some of their friends. Carlos gratefully smiled at Seb, and walked over to Ricky.

“Ricky?” Carlos said, gently tapping the brown-haired boy’s head.

Ricky groaned, but slowly lifted his head up. Carlos pulled out a chair, taking a seat next to him.

“What?” Ricky said, leaning back in his chair.

Carlos hated to see Ricky upset, and although he didn’t know why E.J wasn’t here yet, the best he could do for the moment was try to comfort Ricky.

“You know, this is a prom, not a Valentine’s Day dance,” Carlos said, before gesturing to people dancing by themselves. “Not everybody here has a date, and as a wise man once told me, you don’t  need a partner to dance.”

With that, Carlos patted Ricky’s hand, before leaving to rejoin Seb on the dance floor.

Seb grabbed Carlos by his arm and showed him his phone. On the screen was a text from E.J to the newly created group chat. (minus Ricky, of course)

** E.J: heading inside the auditorium rn **

** E.J: i am very pumped and may or may not die of happiness **

“He should be here in like a minute! I’m so excited to see how Ricky reacts!” Seb said, unable to contain his smile.

Just then, a familiar face in a handsome tux entered the dance.

*********************************

Ricky was exhausted. Not really sleepy tired, just tired of seeing all the couples together. Carlos talking to him had made him feel a little better, but not enough to go frolicking on the dance floor. He eyed the exit one last time, looking for a sign that would tell him whether or not to leave.

That’s when he saw him.

At first, Ricky thought that he actually was sleepy, and that he was hallucinating what he saw. But as the figure moved closer to him, Ricky knew that this was no dream.

It was E.J, and he was looking right at him.

Time seemed to go in slow-motion, and before Ricky knew what was happening, he was running right into E.J’s arms. He hugged E.J tightly, like this was the last time they would ever meet, he cried silently into his neck as E.J rubbed circles into his back. He truly couldn’t believe it, E.J, who was supposed to me across the country, was right here in Ricky’s arms. It made no sense at all, but Ricky wasn’t complaining.

Ricky knew that he was full-on crying now, but he didn’t care at all. He had missed E.J, he missed him so, so much, and now, he was finally here.

“E.J...,” Ricky mumbled in between sobs.

*********************************

It had been twenty minutes, and E.J was more than ready to enter the dance and finally see Ricky. He sent a quick message to his friends before straightening his tie, and heading inside. He said hello to a few of his old teachers, but all he could focus on was the boy who waited for him inside.

E.J stepped into the auditorium and took a quick survey of how the place looked. He waved to Ashlyn, but she apparently didn’t see him. His gaze wandered around the room for a bit more, before he saw Ricky.

Ricky had seen E.J at the exact same time that E.J had seen him, and both boys waited no time running to each other. Ricky jumped into his arms, and soon began to cry into his neck. E.J was not typically one to show much emotion, but he couldn’t prevent the few tears that trickled down his cheek. He held Ricky so tight, and he never wanted to let go. He heard Ricky mumble his name, and E.J gently lifted his head up so he could look at his face.

Ricky’s eyes were pink and puffy, an evident sign of his crying. His hair was all messed up, with curly locks falling all over the place, but to E.J, he was the most beautiful boy in the world. Not waiting a second longer, E.J pulled Ricky in, at last kissing those lips he had craved and dreamed about for months. Nothing else in the world mattered to the boys at that moment, for in their minds, they were the only people in the world.

When they finally released from their passionate kiss, Ricky’s tears had turned to laughter, sweet, joyous laughter, as he let his face be cupped by E.J’s hands.

“Ricky...I missed you so, so much,” E.J said, starting into those mesmerizing brown eyes that made him fall in love a year ago.

“I missed you too,” Ricky said, unable to pry his eyes away from E.J’s gaze. “How...why are you here?”

E.J was about to answer, but he could feel people looking at him. He sighed with a smile, and turned Ricky around. Behind them, everyone in the friend group was excitedly staring at them.

“They pooled their money and bought me a plane ticket here. I’m not going back to campus until Sunday,” E.J said, wrapping his arms around Ricky’s waist.

Ricky’s eyes widened, and he just laughed. He was smiling, and he could not believe that he didn’t notice how weird they were acting towards him throughout the past month. It all clicked in Ricky’s mind now, especially why Gina was so insistent on getting him to go to prom with them.

“You guys are the best, I really could not ask for better friends,” Ricky said, leaning on E.J.

Immediately, the gang launched into a group hug, and the joy was very contagious.

*********************************

Needless to say, the rest of the night was like a dream. Ricky and E.J could not be separated by any means, and they spent the entire night dancing together.

They took pictures and everything was just perfect.

Soon, it was the end of the night, and desperate to not let the heat of the night come to a close, the boys kissed one last time.

“I missed you so much,” Ricky said, tracing his fingers along E.J’s neck. “I was afraid that you’d forget me and find someone new.”

E.J gave a gentle laugh. “How could I ever forget someone like you? Even if I’ll be across the country at times, I’ll promise you this: I’ll never forget you.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! this chapter was longer than i anticipated and took like three days to write 😅 sorry for not writing for a while it’s just life gets busy sometimes y’know?  
> also i feel like the rj fandom is kinda dying a bit so that’s sad (except for some of y’all who make AWESOME content) so yeah! with all this virus stuff going around i hope you guys stay safe, healthy, and happy! ily guys so much!


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